The Last One

THE LAST ONE Chapter Three--Meghan

"PLEASE TELL ME THERE'S coffee. And maybe something to chop off my head. Oh my God, make the pain stop." I stumbled into the living room, one hand over my eyes to hide from the light pouring in through our large windows and the other reaching out for anything that might help me stay up right.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Laura's voice held laughter and way too much peppiness for this time of day.

"Fuck the morning.Coffee, if you love me at all."

I heard the clink of the glass pot as I pulled myself onto a stool and dropped my head onto the breakfast bar, covering it with my arms.

"Since of course I loveyou, here it is. Hot and strong. Just like that dude you broughthome last night."

I straightened up sofast the room spun, panic gripping my heart. "God, are you freakingkidding me? Where is he? You're joking, right?"

Laura collapsed againstthe counter opposite me, holding her middle. "Oh, you should haveseen your face. Priceless. Absolutely priceless. Drink your coffeebefore you knock it over."

I reached for the mugand glared at her. "You're a bitch, you know that? A mean, lyingbitch. God, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"It wasn't thatfar-fetched. You wanted to take Mr. Sexy Cowboy home, don't youremember? You tried to talk me into it. Hell, he tried to talk meinto it."

"Mr. Sexy Cowboy?" Ifrowned, trying to remember. The guy who'd been sending me smoldersacross the room had asked me to dance, as I had predicted. He'dbought me a drink ... maybe two ... and then we'd danced some more.There was a slow song, and I'd felt his fingers at the waistband ofmy skirt, slipping down over my ass. I didn't remember anythingafter that.

"Yeah, he was, um,motivated. I had to tell him that you and I were both nuns, andthat we'd run away from the convent for one last night of forbiddenfun before we took our vows, but that now we had to go back or Godwould smite us. And him, if he didn't just let you go."

I sipped the coffee,almost moaning in appreciation. "Damn, this is good. So he boughtthat? He actually believed you?"

One side of her mouthlifted in a half-smile. "I was very convincing. I almost cried.Plus, the guy might have been Mr. Sexy Cowboy, but he wasn't Mr.Smart Cowboy. He had more brawn than brain cells."

"Nice, Lo." I tookanother drink and hummed. "Well, thanks for getting me out of thereand making sure I got home safely. I'm sorry if I was a pain in theass."

Laura raised hereyebrows. "So you don't remember the rest of the evening at all?The part where your car died in the middle of a very dark, verylonely stretch of country road, and the auto service couldn't sendanyone out to us? And where we were rescued by a really nice guy,who towed your car to the nearest garage and then arranged for usto have another car so we could get home?"

My brows knit together.There was a vague familiarity about what she was saying. I couldalmost remember her leaning over me, saying something about a belt,and then walking along the side of a road and getting jettisonedinto a truck. Then the rest of her words registered.

"My car? Where's mycar?" I slid out of the seat and ran over to the window. Or I sortof ran; I fast-walked, because my head still wasn't quite sure itwas going to stay on my shoulders, and I didn't want to risk itfalling off.

In the spot assigned tothe sweet little blue Honda my dad had bought me before I startedcollege sat an old ugly brown car. I turned back around. "What didyou do with it?"

"Weren't you listeningto me? It's at a garage in Burton. That's the loaner. Calm down,Sam said it shouldn't be too long. Boomer's going to call me onMonday."